Hype for the 20th Alamo Bowl began Thursday morning in San Antonio with a press conference with both coaches.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley and Texas coach Mack Brown addressed the media to preview the Dec. 29 game in the Alamodome.

"It should be a fun challenge for us," Brown said. "You don't like playing friends, but you like playing someone you respect. This time we have both."

Both teams are thrilled to be in one of the better non-Bowl Championship Series games. The coaches believe this game is a steppingstone to greater opportunities.

"I've always thought of bowl games as a great way to cap off a season and a reward to go," Riley said. "It's an opportunity to win. It's also a kickoff to the offseason and the next season with the next Beaver football team."

Both teams are not committed to a starting quarterback and they both say they have two starting QBs. Texas QB Davis Ash (ribs) missed the last game of the season and Case McCoy played for him.

Riley continues to put off a decision between original starter Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz, but says he can't make a bad decision.

Texas, meanwhile, has running back injury issues. Malcolm Brown (ankle) just came back from a long stretch out, while Joe Bergeron (shoulder) was hurt in the last game and is questionable for the Alamo Bowl.

Brown joked during the press conference that Riley nearly got him fired because of the success of the Rodgers brothers, who both came from Texas. "People asked me who they were, and I kept saying I didn't know," he said.